


Lost Son

by iexisttolive



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Scars, The Moon - Freeform, lycanthropy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-12 16:49:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1192569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iexisttolive/pseuds/iexisttolive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill Weasley wasn't cursed with lycanthropy - he was denied it. Perhaps it would have been a mercy to receive a bite instead. Written for Round 1 of the Decisions, Decisions Competition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Son

The moon shone dimly from behind the clouds, its light cast upon the upturned face of a young man. His blue eyes gleamed silver in the light, the call of a mother to her lost son. His pupils were wide, his posture tense – hands clenched in the fabric of his trousers, strung taught as a bowstring; bare chest gleaming with sweat. He trembled.

In the distance, he heard the howls of his not-quite kin.

Bill Weasley wept.

* * *

 

He had run into Remus by chance, ducking into a side-alley to avoid Fleur. They collided hard, Bill’s quick reflexes saving Remus from a nasty fall. His face reddened in embarrassment as he was caught in the other man’s gaze.

“In a hurry?”

“Not really,” Bill looked down, breaking Remus’ gaze. “I was just… in the alley, Fleur was there.”

“Ah,” Remus replied. “I heard about what happened.”

“Did you? Here I thought it was a quiet breakup.”

“Arthur told me. I had asked after you.”

Bill looked back up, interest piqued. Remus laughed nervously under his questioning stare. “I just wanted to know how you were doing. You know, with the scars.” His honey brown eyes strayed inevitably the marks on Bill’s face.

Bill stayed quiet, and Remus began to panic.

“I mean, it really isn’t my business. I was just worried about - ”

“It’s fine, Remus. It isn’t like I don’t get asked about them.” Bill’s lips turned up in a mocking smile.

“That’s not what I meant.” His eyes pinned Bill in place once more. “I know that you don’t experience the change. I wanted you to know that if you’re experiencing any side effects, you can come to me.”

“You mean besides the desire to eat raw meat and howl at the moon? I’m fine, Remus.”

Remus looked at him silently, and Bill quieted, understanding his message.

_Please, it said, you don’t have to do this alone. Not ever._

Bill could only pull a strained smile as he asked “Do you mean it, Remus?”

* * *

 

The silver light of the moon washed over Bill once more, but this time it also shone upon his companion. It was impossible for the duo to gaze upon it without hearing its secret whisper.

_My sons. My children. Alone in the world you may be, but look up at me and I am the only home you will ever need. Find solace in this. Find solace in me._

And the older did. Remus, the only survivor of four companions, scarred by life and love alike, found beauty in the entity that plagued him with pain and madness once a month.

But Bill struggled; struck with a longing he couldn’t help but find sick – a longing to be in one world or the other. He knew which he would choose were he given a choice. He couldn’t help but know that there would be no one to consider it the right choice, not even the man before him. Especially not the man before him.

Remus’ exhaustion from the previous night’s full moon was evident in his haunted eyes and slumped posture. Bill knew that Remus would never subject another to what he went through – that he had nightmares of that very thing happening. Dreams of a bite that would ruin lives.

As they looked away from the moon to look at each other, Bill knew that he could never ask Remus to turn him. Remus raised his hand gently to Bill’s face, touching the scars turned silver by moonlight. Bill leant into his fingers, eyes half-closing with the almost-relief it brought him.

Bill knew in that moment that although they would never be truly the same, he would gladly give into temptation this once, and see if it led him to a happy ending.

Leaning closer, he caught Remus’ wrist in his hand, and brought him into a soft kiss. Remus sighed and pulled Bill closer, other hand moving up to grip his hair.

As their kiss ended, Bill looked into the eyes of the man who could bring him salvation, and decided that he could never destroy him that way.


End file.
